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Hello all,

I want to bake the Auvergne Rye bread described here by the Rye Baker. 

So far I've only baked breads from FWSY and I've had a lot of success with them with very decent crumbs (not very dense but not super airy).

I want to try this 73% rye bread because I want to work with higher proportions of rye but I'm surprised by how roughly this recipe proposes to handle the bread. After a stage 1 and 2 sponge, the recipe suggests mixing the bread with the dough hook 4-5 minutes, proofing it, kneading it, shaping and then proofing it again right before baking. 

Is it necessary to be so rough with this bread? I notice the crumb in the pictures is very dense, could I treat this dough much more gently and get results with a more open crumb?

I assume I'll have to be rough with it during the mixing even if I do it by hand, but for the kneading right before shaping, could I skip the kneading and just gently shape it before proofing and baking or do you think the dough would collapse in the oven if I don't knead it back down after the rise?

Thanks!

If you're a golfer or a photographer there is often an interest in what the pros have "in their bag" so they can decide if something is right for them as well.  While I have been baking bread for many years, I've only recently begun to delve more deeply into artisan baking. So, I'm curious what experienced bakers have found to be very important for their baking experience. I'm especially interested in what has really made a difference.  This could be equipment, tools, ingredients, books, techniques, advice, etc. So, if you're willing to share, I'm sure many of us with less experience will be interested.

This is the highest percentage whole grain (white whole wheat) loaf that I've made that turned out pretty decent! I am new to this, so forgive me if I do not have the right terminology. If my calculations are correct, the bread turned out to be 85% whole wheat (because my starter is fed with AP flour) and 82% hydration. 

125g starter (100% hydration, AP flour)

275g water

350g KAF white whole wheat flour

7g salt

I did 4 folds every hour for 4 hours and then put it in the fridge overnight at around 9pm. The next morning, I took it out of the fridge and let it sit for 2 hours on the counter.  Then, I shaped it and let it sit for about 1.5 hours. 

Baked at 450 deg F for 25 min in a dutch oven with lid on, then about 5 min with the lid off. 

Please take a look and critique! 

Also one question .... when I shape my loaves into boules, I get these large air bubbles just under the surface.  I used to pop them, but then I read that it's bad to let the surface of the loaf tear - I'm still not sure why it's bad, but regardless, I stopped popping them.  What ends up happening is large holes near the surface (see right side of loaf in pic below). Any suggestions?

Hello, Everyone:

I am fairly new to bread making and have been working with both the Ken Forkish FLOUR WATER SALT YEAST book and Tartine's Book 3 on using ancient grains. 

I have created a starter using the method described in Tartine: Book No. 3: Modern Ancient Classic Whole. Since it is a two-week long process, I feel the result is precious and want to keep the end product on hand.  The book instructs, "To maintain the leaven for regular use, continue feeding daily as described. . . To save leaven for long periods without use, add enough flour to make a dry paste and keep covered in the refrigerator." 

I can't feed daily because of my job schedule. The instruction to make a paste seems quite vague, when all other instructions have been precise down to the gram. If I add a random quantity of flour to the leaven I want to store, how will I know how much more flour and water to add when I want to revive it?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer!

Gyorgyi